Thursday Tolkien Thoughts: What Does the White Flag of the Stewards of Gondor Signify?
The Ruling Stewards of Gondor declined to use the standard of the kings and instead used a simple white flag. What’s the significance of this choice? Whatever it means, it definitely isn’t surrender.
The loss of innocence is a fairly common theme in literature, and wouldn’t you know, Tolkien handled it too! As with most things, he manages a nuanced take showing both the positives and negatives of innocence and its loss, if you know how to read his tale.
Check out the whole Hobbit Day playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCeOWemVWFcbslFv0kk1_HQMb6o0Q-k5L&jct=TO0kZczE9iWwleNbEk4J6g
Other Links:
Playeur (formerly Utreon): https://playeur.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-355195
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek
Xero Shoes (affiliate link): https://xeroshoes.com/go/TolkienGeek
Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/EVKynAj2m9 (If link is expired contact me at tolkienloremaster@gmail.com and I’ll send a fresh invite link).
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uRaKFOsAV4
My video on why Sauron couldn’t recover his Ring after being defeated in the War of the Last Alliance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKzuKSus8FI) generated several comments about the Nazgul and the Nine Rings that show many people have what I think is a mistaken view of how those Rings work, but which also raise some additional questions worth addressing, so let’s dive into some Ring lore!
Apologies for video quality—was having technical issues but had to get something out!
Other Links:
Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore
Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek
Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/EVKynAj2m9 (If link is expired contact me at tolkienloremaster@gmail.com and I’ll send a fresh invite link).
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dcZgr_Nv1M
The 2021 Summer Seminar held by the Tolkien Society got a lot of attention because of the topics. Was the fuss merited? Here are my thoughts on one specific presentation—Cordeliah Logsdon’s “Gondor in Transition: A Brief Introduction to Transgender Realities in The Lord of the Rings”.
Here is the specific presentation I’m addressing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1BYu4NOIv8&list=PLoyx2jXs6Le_MelDj_rJsmiYSYQBeVYxQ&index=1
Here’s the playlist for all the videos in the seminar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1BYu4NOIv8&list=PLoyx2jXs6Le_MelDj_rJsmiYSYQBeVYxQ
This page gives the titles and brief descriptions of all the talks: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-summer-seminar/
My video on authorial intent vs. death of the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n49foLSWx50
Other Links:
Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore
Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7s2otyaC7k
Gondor and Rohan weren't the only participants in the War of the Ring. Here's what happened to Lorien and our old friends from "The Hobbit."
Check out Marquette's oral history project, where you can volunteer to give a brief interview about what Tolkien means to you, here: https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/JRRT/fandomoh.php
My own interview is now online: http://cdm16280.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16280coll11/id/1395
You can support my channel by visiting my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek.
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDcMl0bs-3I
CinemaSins, famous for its "Everything Wrong With" YouTube videos, has of course done some on the Lord of the Rings movies. But their criticisms are often misplaced. Here's how their video on the Fellowship measures up.
Part two, on the Two Towers, is now up: https://youtu.be/1swNui5SNUc
Part three, on The Return of the King, is now up: https://youtu.be/51NBQyD43xw
CinemaSins' video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLoobrbKepE
My video on the Rings of Power is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib6AuHfwbOM
Intro and outro music from "Amon Hen," on the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Soundtrack, copyright New Line Productions and Reprise Records.
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrjydLgXwhw
This episode was significantly better than many others in the sense that it was engaging, kept my interest, and things really happened. But there are still logical issues and the lore breaking goes so far as to destroy much of the underlying logic of The Lord of the Rings….
Previous episode reviews:
Episodes 1 & 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3bJTDxHRY0&t=1389s
Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Nw0Gi_h0o&t=3187s
Episode 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDYxVsk6Y9s&t=0s
Episode 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgXpK3pcO5g
Episode 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z37IlsaRpvo
Episode 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTkwnzSzPaM
Other Links:
Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/
Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek
Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/EVKynAj2m9 (If link is expired contact me at tolkienloremaster@gmail.com and I’ll send a fresh invite link).
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eQYFxhRDX4
Perhaps Tolkien's only foray into outright comedy, Farmer Giles of Ham is humorous on multiple levels, from its nature as a parody to the many language-based jokes Tolkien includes in the story. It's a short, whimsical read very different from what most of us know Tolkien for, and well worth picking up. I recommend picking up this compilation: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Perilous-Realm-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0547154119/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1477875238&sr=1-4&keywords=farmer+giles+of+ham Unfortunately I can't seem to find an edition with commentary to explain the jokes that require more learning, but this at least has several other stories worth having in your collection.
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O32CpI0rOgg
When first encountering the Ring Poem, which lists groups of 9, 7, 3, and 1 rings, we might be tempted to wonder why there isn’t a group of 5, and what race they might have been made for, but this is based on a simple misconception regarding the making of the Rings of Power.
Other Links:
Utreon: https://utreon.com/c/TolkienLorePodcast/
Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195
Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek
Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/EVKynAj2m9 (If link is expired contact me at tolkienloremaster@gmail.com and I’ll send a fresh invite link).
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L92wSV_UIBA
After Turin commits suicide, his father, Hurin, is released by Morgoth. Further tragic events ensue....
As always, the full Silmarillion Synopsis series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgdY5RPp2o5NmAPZ7WkFdk4tdcV6aGAyN
Check out Marquette's oral history project, where you can volunteer to give a brief interview about what Tolkien means to you, here: https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/Mss/JRRT/fandomoh.php
You can support my channel by visiting my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek.
The map used is the main map included in "The Silmarillion."
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPYr0PX_2xM